US troops killed in Afghanistan and Africa

Will McLawhorn was a fun-loving young man with a dry sense of humor and hopes of becoming an Army Ranger, friends and family said.

"Will loved life and had a great sense of humor, often quipping out one-liners that could leave you in stitches," McLawhorn's family wrote in his obituary.

McLawhorn was the son of the Rev. Willie and Dianne McLawhorn.

"He was always teasing everyone about him being a preacher's kid," Brian Bolton, the mayor of McLawhorn's hometown of Conway, N.C., told The Daily Herald newspaper. Bolton said his daughter had dated McLawhorn in high school.

The 23-year-old McLawhorn was one of six Fort Campbell soldiers killed by a suicide bomber Dec. 12 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He received his high school diploma from Northeast Academy in 2005.

His family said in his obituary that McLawhorn was an avid hunter who bagged an eight-point buck with his first shot. In high school, he excelled at baseball and basketball.

The obituary said that, as a youngster, McLawhorn liked to pretend he was a soldier and toss pine cone "grenades."

His fellow paratroopers knew him as "Claw," the obituary said.

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Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener

Garrett Misener's mother sent him care packages all the time while he was serving in Afghanistan, boxes filled with socks, Little Debbie brownies, magazines, batteries and anything else he might need. But she couldn't send him what she said was the food he missed most: Taco Bell.

Janne Zaccagnino said her son had served overseas several times, including trips to Iraq, Africa and the Caribbean. She said he felt that God had called him to serve in the military, The (Memphis, Tenn.) Commercial Appeal reported.

Zaccagnino asked people attending her sons funeral to bring teddy bears, which would then be donated to a children's hospital. The request stemmed from her son's nickname.

"It started with GarBear," his mother said, a nickname that rhymes with Care Bears, which were popular when he was a child. "Later we just called him Bear."

Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn., was killed Dec. 27 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

His family wrote in his obituary that he graduated from Cordova High School. He played on the school's rugby team and excelled as a musician, playing drums, ukulele, guitar and viola.

He wasn't much good then, Jenkins said at Mixon's funeral. He banged his mismatched sticks on a textbook, his tongue hanging from his mouth. But he worked hard - and in a matter of years, Mixon was a regular on the drumline of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

"He had drumsticks everywhere he went," Rachel Davis, who danced on the high school's color guard team, told The Florida Times-Union. He pounded on bus seats, desks - whatever was around.

Mixon, 23, of Yulee, Fla., and another soldier were killed by a suicide bomber Dec. 8 in Balkh province, Afghanistan. He was based in Vilseck, Germany.

Mixon married his wife, Amy, not long before deploying to Afghanistan, the newspaper reported.

His family remembered him as a soldier who enjoyed cooking, fishing and practical jokes.

Ryan Teston said he remembered playing in band with Mixon when the young man had "a high-top 'fro, a nice 1980s hairdo going on." The two got together to chat and eat chicken wings in November.

Friends of Kenneth Necochea Jr. remembered him as a "gentle soul" who was unfailingly polite and kind.

One high school teacher also spoke of how Necochea, of San Diego, was well-liked and easy to get along with.

"He was a nice, sweet kid. His classmates liked him and he worked well in groups," said David LeMaster, the assistant principal at Poway High School, where Necochea was a student.

Necochea, 21, of San Diego, was killed Dec. 12 in an attack on his unit in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Necochea graduated in 2007 from Poway High School, where LeMaster said he had developed an interest in history.

"Like many kids, he wasn't too thrilled about (history) at first but he left the class excited about the subject," LeMaster said.

Two years after high school, Necochea joined the military. He had hoped to become a police officer after completing his military service, friends and family said.

Survivors include several siblings; his father, Kenneth E. Necochea; and his mother and stepfather, Donna and Neal Wright.

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Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen

Tevan Nguyen was an honor student and a star athlete who helped lead his Hutto High School football team to a Texas state championship in 2005.

When he wasn't on the football field, Nguyen was running track or spending time with friends and family, always trying to make them smile.

"He always made people laugh," Mona Rivera, Nguyen's cousin, told KVUE-TV. "He always had something funny to say. If he saw somebody was upset or angry, he always had something to say to make them cheer up and look at a different side of what was going on."

Nguyen enlisted in the Marines in 2007, something family members said he'd dreamed of doing. It was his first deployment to a combat zone.

"Tevan's wish was to go and help people," his family said in his obituary. "He was full of courage, love and kindness."

Nguyen is survived by his infant son, parents, sister and other relatives. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.

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Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman

Sean Osterman didn't taking joining the Marines lightly. After weighing his options he decided to enlist at age 17 while still a junior in high school, signing up for the Corps' delayed entry program.

The decision in 2006 would allow him to follow in the footsteps of his father, a retired Marine colonel who now lives in Virginia.

"He felt connected to the military," Bridget Hamak, his guidance counselor at Technical High School, told the St. Cloud Times. "He was just so proud of what he was doing."

The 21-year-old from Princeton, Minn., died Dec. 16, two days after he was wounded while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Before joining the Marines, Osterman was a standout athlete, playing lacrosse and swimming on his high school's swim team.

His mother, Kelly Hugo, said her son also was an avid reader and a natural adventurer, according to the Princeton Union-Eagle.

Osterman was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. His family said he was leading a reconnaissance platoon when he was killed by a sniper. Assigned to Camp Lejeune, Osterman died at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany.

In addition to his parents, Osterman is survived by his siblings and other family members.

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Marine Sgt. Jason D. Peto

Jason Peto was an outdoorsman who went on hunting trips with his father, taught his younger cousins to fish and took time to watch the breakers at the ocean.

Peto, 31, died at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland on Dec. 7, almost two weeks after he was wounded while on a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

An obituary published in The Oregonian said he was in a Humvee that had been by hit by a roadside bomb.

He had been assigned to Camp Pendleton.

Born in California, Peto moved in 1990 with his family to Vancouver, Wash., where he graduated from Mountain View High School.

In 2004, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, just as his father and uncle had. The following year he married his high school sweetheart, Tiffany Dillmon.

Survivors include his wife; parents, Ernest and Janie Peto; and three brothers, two of whom were also Marines.

"Jason was loved by so many - family, friends, and neighbors, and has left a void that can never be replaced," his obituary said.

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Army Staff Sgt. Jason A. Reeves

During his 12 years in Army, Jason Reeves managed to see the world.

On deployments in Korea, Germany and Iraq and during his travels abroad, he made a point to explore and learn about different cultures and the way people lived elsewhere on the globe.

"Jason was an adventurous little boy and grew into an adventurous young man," his family members said in his obituary.

The 32-year-old Air Force brat joined the Army when he tried to find direction in his life. After dropping out of high school in Arizona, he moved to Odessa, Texas, to work with his grandfather in a cabinet shop. He earned his degree through a correspondence course and enlisted at 20.

An avid skydiver and scuba diver, he loved the chance the Army gave him to see the world.

"He enjoyed seeing parts of the world that most people didn't get to see," his father, David Reeves, told The Arizona Republic. "He liked to get out and see the countries, not just what the tourists see."

Reeves died Dec. 5 after he was injured by an improvised explosive device in Paktia Province, Afghanistan.

In addition to his father, Reeves is survived by his mother and sister, among others. He was assigned to a military intelligence battalion based in Hohenfels, Germany.

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Marine Pfc. Colton W. Rusk

Colton Rusk knew he wanted to be a Marine long before he was old enough to enlist.

But the South Texas resident had to wait until 2008, a year before he graduated from Orange Grove High School, until he could join the Corps' delayed entry program.

The 20-year-old machine gunner and dog handler seemed to embrace life in the military, graduating from boot camp in January 2010. He was matched with his dog, Eli, in the spring, and the pair deployed to Afghanistan in September.

The two were a team, family members said, often bunking together on the same cot. After Rusk was shot by members of the Taliban on Dec. 6, Eli crawled on top of his body to protect his partner, his family said.

Family members told the Corpus Christi Caller they hope to be able to adopt Eli when the dog is discharged from the Marines.

Before he joined the military, Rusk was a rough-and-tumble Texan who loved sports, hunting and cowboy boots. But he also was popular in school, where he was elected prom king before he graduated in 2009.

Rusk was assigned to Camp Pendleton. He's survived by his parents and two brothers, among other family members.

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Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg

Justin Schmalstieg had the qualities of a talented bomb technician even as a child - quiet, thoughtful, intelligent.

"He was the one with the peaceful spirit," said Renee Drummond-Brown, whose own soldier son was close friends with Schmalstieg as a child.

The young man who was the son of Pittsburgh police detectives loved playing video games and watching cartoons as a youngster, but eventually was called to the military by a sense of duty, friends said.

"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," said friend Frantz Pamphile.

Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh, was killed Dec. 15 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton and graduated from Peabody High School in 2000. He specialized in disarming explosives.

The Marine had served two tours in Iraq before being sent to Afghanistan, said neighbor Carl Vitti.

"He loved his job. He loved his job, I'll tell you that," said John Gilkey, Schmalstieg's father. "He was charismatic. He seemed to get along with everybody."

Schmalstieg had a 15-year-old brother, also named John. He met his wife, Ann, while the two were in high school. The two married in November 2009.

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Marine Lance Cpl. Lucas C. Scott

Luke Scott had wanted to be a Marine since he was a young boy. The closer he got to finishing high school, the more he prepared for military service, working out to prepare himself physically.

"For his last year of school, all he wanted to do was be a Marine. He was a good kid, and he wanted to defend our nation," his high school track coach, Linda Zinser, told the People's Defender.

He enlisted in June 2009, shortly after graduating from Peebles High School in Peebles, Ohio. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune and soon was defending his country in Afghanistan.

Just days after celebrating his 20th birthday, Scott was killed in combat Dec. 3 in Helmand province. His family and friends back in Peebles were devastated.

"Sometimes we don't realize the cost of freedom until we lose someone in our own hometown," Zinser said.

He leaves behind his parents, Kevin and Angie Scott, brother, Elijah, and sisters, Molly and Megan.

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Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta

Married to his high school sweetheart, Derek Simonetta knew he wanted to have a family of his own and believed that joining the Army would lead to a brighter future, his grandmother said.

He grew up dedicated to family and often helped care for his 12-year-old brother, Bonnie Simonetta told the San Jose Mercury News. He enlisted in 2008.

"I think he was looking for a good job with (a) future, and I think he thought it could provide him with resources later on for education," his grandmother said.

The 21-year-old from Redwood City, Calif., was killed in a Dec. 12 explosion in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

The last time Derek Simonetta saw his family was in October when he took leave for his birthday. During that visit home, his grandmother said, it became clear that her grandson - the "kid" she knew - had grown up.

"I was just so impressed with the young man that he had become," she said. "He was a man when he came back in October."

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Army Sgt. 1st Class James E. Thode

When he was a boy, James Thode shot his BB gun until his father took him to a shooting range. There, he learned how to shoot a rifle.

Back then, Thode looked up to an uncle who served as a marksman in the military, said his father, Ernest Thode.

In 1984, the younger Thode enlisted and dedicated his life to public service from then on.

He served in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and in the Iraq War in 2003.

He also was a member of the Farmington Police Department in New Mexico for 14 years.

"He was just one of those guys," Farmington Police Lt. Daryl Noon told the Arizona Daily Star. "He was well-respected. He was a great friend. He was a great leader. He had all those qualities that you would look for in someone."

Thode was killed in a Dec. 2 attack on his unit at Sabari District in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. He had been based in Salt Lake City.

"He was a big, quiet man at 6-2, and 240 pounds, but he was a warrior," Ernest Thode said.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Thode grew up mostly in Tucson, where he graduated from Catalina Magnet High School and the University of Arizona.

Eventually, he and his family made Kirtland, N.M., their home.

In addition to his father, Thode is survived by his wife, Carlotta; daughter, Ashley, 18; son, Tommy, 8; mother, Evelyn; and his sister Mary Ann.

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Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr.

Eric Torbert was sometimes quiet and reserved. His band, the Whyte Lightning, was not.

"He had a band and they were quite good," said neighbor Cathy Bunz. "They were loud, but they were good."

While he was in Afghanistan, Torbert wrote to his wife that his guitar was one of the possessions he missed the most.

Torbert, 25, of Lancaster, Pa., was killed Dec. 18 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.

His wife, Marcelle, said at his memorial service that Torbert often wrote her long letters while he was at boot camp, even though he was quieter in person. She looked forward to those letters every Wednesday, the Lancaster New Era reported. Her letters to him were just as long.

"I wrote that we should chase our dreams in hopes of catching them," she said.

The Rev. Marjorie A. Harris recalled Torbert as an energetic, brown-eyed, freckle-faced boy. The 2003 graduate of Penn Manor High School had worked as a newspaper delivery boy for Lancaster Newspapers. He enlisted in the Marines in 2007.

As a child, he enjoyed playing baseball, his family wrote in his obituary.

He also is survived by his parents and two siblings.

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Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis

Jorge Villacis' buddy, Juan Rivadeneira, was killed in November in Afghanistan.

Still, Villacis told his family not to worry, The Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.

"I have to go back and finish the job. And then I'll be home," he told his family, according to his sister Jessica Geribon.

They hoped he'd be back to play catch with a football with his nieces and nephews, and root for his favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees.

But less than a month after Rivadeneira, Villacis lost his life, too.

The 24-year-old from Sunrise, Fla., was one of six Fort Campbell soldiers killed by a suicide bomber Dec. 12 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

Friends and family fondly recalled Villacis in an online memorial.

"I will have to find someone else to bother about the Yankees losing in the playoff till we meet again and can continue our battles on your wonderful YANKEES," wrote Dario Sanchez of Miami.

William del Aguila of Pembroke Pines, Fla., wrote that Villacis always tried to cheer up his friends when they were down.

"He was always a person that was willing to hear a good joke just because he liked to laugh," del Aguila wrote.

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Marine Cpl. Chad S. Wade

Growing up, Chad Wade was a typical kid from the South.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., and later moving to Arkansas, a younger Wade would croon country music songs. He loved hunting, fishing, golf and cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers' football team and the Indianapolis Colts.

The 22-year-old from Bentonville, Ark., also loved to make his friends and family laugh.

Wade was fearless, too.

He died Dec.1 after being injured while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The Benton County Daily Record said Wade died when he was struck by a bomb while on foot patrol.

"He went to the most dangerous place in the world, bullets whizzing by him every day, and he was still able to tell his family, 'I'm not afraid,'" the Rev. Daryl Lee said at Wade's funeral, the newspaper reported.

Wade, who graduated from Rogers High School in 2006, enlisted in the Marines in 2007. He'd already served one tour of duty in Iraq.

Wade was assigned to Camp Pendleton.

He is survived by his wife, parents and stepparents, and four sisters and brothers.

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Marine Cpl. Derek A. Wyatt

Derek Wyatt met his future wife, a fellow Marine named Kait McGlaughlin, while stationed in Okinawa, Japan, in 2007. They were married a year later and were expecting their first child in early last month.

Wyatt, 25, of Akron, Ohio, was killed Dec. 6 in combat in Helmand province, Afghanistan. His son, Michael Everett, was born Dec. 7 at Camp Pendleton, where Wyatt was stationed.

His wife already had mailed cigars to Afghanistan for her husband to pass out when the baby was born, said her sister, BreAnn DeGraw.

"They were so in love," DeGraw told the Beacon Journal.

Wyatt always had known he wanted to serve in the military. He joined the junior ROTC the ninth grade and decided on the Marines in 12th grade, enlisting immediately after graduating from East High School in 2004.

Wyatt's ROTC instructor, retired Master Sgt. John Maclean, said Wyatt was extraordinary: a model student who never missed a day of school - even on senior skip day.

Wyatt also was a baseball player, trivia buff and music lover. After he died, two of his brothers and six of his friends went together to get white pony tattoos in honor of Wyatt and his favorite Deftones album, "White Pony."